Tag Archives: sweets

Between working for a couple of years with Maria Baez Kijac on her iconic cookbook The South American Table and my own interest in corn from my book, Midwest Maize, I knew I had to try these cookies as soon as I learned of their existence.

These tasty confections melt in your mouth. Popular in Brazil, they are generally served with hot coffee in the afternoon. They are easy to make—and they are gluten free. Plus they allow for a substantial amount of customization.

The most commonly used brand of cornstarch (aka corn flour) in Brazil is Maizena, so these cookies are often referred to as Maizena cookies, or biscoitos de Maizena, in Portuguese. Because the butter is a chief flavor component of the cookies, use good quality butter, and definitely don’t use butter you’ve had in the freezer for a long time (I did this once, and you can taste that smell things pick up when left in the freezer for too long). And use salted butter. If the only butter you have is unsalted, either buy some salted butter or add a pinch of salt to the recipe.

Preparation:
Cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, then add the corn starch and beat into the mixture. Once thoroughly combined and dough-like, let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls, rolling them in your hand. Place them on a cookie sheet that has been lined with baking parchment or a silicon baking sheet, or just lightly butter the cookie sheet. Then flatten the balls slightly with a fork, leaving the tine pattern in the top of each cookie. Bake on the center rack of your oven for 8 to 10 minutes. They should not brown on top, but a tiny bit of gold on the bottom is okay. Let them cool before handling, as they are delicate when hot. This should produce 36 cookies.

That is all that is needed to make them authentic. Brazilians sometimes toss a bit of shredded coconut into the dough before baking. I think a bit of grated lemon rind would be lovely, or use almond extract instead of vanilla. I thought the white cookies looked a little plain, so I grated a bit of fresh nutmeg over my first batch, cinnamon over the second. Both worked. With so few ingredients, the flavor of the cookie depends heavily on the quality of the butter and the extract.

In an air-tight container, these hold up very well—though I’ve never had them last long enough to find out how long they’ll last.

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This blog will relate discoveries made as I explore and study the Midwest. It will feature places I visited in pursuit of corn stories, but will also follow other threads of history, travel, and culture in the Heartland. For the remarkable tales of corn and its importance in the world and U.S., check out the book, Midwest Maize: How Corn Shaped the U.S. Heartland. I hope you'll consider buying it.